


Home

by Kitty514



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 20:10:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9088591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitty514/pseuds/Kitty514
Summary: Newt had never known what it felt like to have a true home until he met a man who brought the definition to life.





	

The wind picked up outside the MACUSA building, threatening to knock Newt and his suitcase over into the pile of snow next to him. He shivered and pulled his coat tighter around himself as the cold seeped a little deeper into his bones. He finally spotted Tina walking his way in the setting sun with another person by her side. As they came closer, Newt could make out the man's face, harsh lines forming on it as he frowned.

Graves. The real Graves. He'd appeared a couple weeks after Grindelwald was arrested. Someone from MACUSA had found him while investigating an apartment said to be housing a wizard practicing the Dark Arts. All that been found was Graves, with barely any memory of what had happened to him. Newt had wondered at the time if Grindelwald had somehow tipped them off about Graves' whereabouts. Though he supposed it could have been anyone. 

"Mr. Scamander, I presume?" Graves said when he and Tina stopped in front of Newt. Tina gave Newt a small smile and nod in greeting, and Newt smiled back shyly before turning his attention to Graves. 

"You presume right, Mr. Graves." Newt replied, looking at the patch of snow behind him before glancing at his face. 

A subtle flicker of amusement passed over Graves' admittedly handsome features as he looked Newt up-and-down. Newt tried not to squirm under his gaze. A part of him could t help but associate with this Graves with Grindelwald, though he know it wasn't so. "So you're the one who took Grindelwald down, as I've been told." Graves said, his manner of speaking different enough from Grindelwald that Newt could shake the thoughts from before. "You must be a talented wizard." He moved past Newt to the door to MACUSA, holding it open for Tina and Newt to go through. 

"I wouldn't say that." Newt said when they were all inside. "I had a lot of help." 

"That swooping evil sure did come in handy." Tina said. 

Graves, who'd been walking ahead of them on the stairs froze in his tracks and turned to look at Tina and Newt. "Swooping evil? Do I even want to know what that is and how illegal it must be?" 

"Probably not." Tina conceded, grinning apologetically. 

"It's safe in my suitcase, along with everything else." Newt said, patting it a little. 

Graves looked down at the suitcase with a grimace. "I'm going to have so much more to catch up on." 

Newt couldn't help the tiny laugh that escaped him, and his face heated up as soon as it left his mouth. Graves glanced up at Newt, a quick, curious smile crossing his lips. 

"I'd like to have a talk with you, Mr. Scamander. Tina's filled me in on as much as she can, but I have a few questions left; mainly to do with you and that suitcase of yours." 

Newt nodded, feeling his face heat up even more at the direct attention. "Of course. I understand." 

"Good. Follow me." Graves turned back around and started up the steps again. Newt trailed after him, saying a quick goodbye to Tina as they parted ways. He briefly studied the back of Graves' head, the stiff outline of his back under his coat. Then he looked away, aware of all the people staring at him and Graves as they made their way through the building. 

Graves held his office door open for Newt. Newt slipped into the room with a muttered thanks. He took in the room while Graves sorted through some papers at his desk. There wasn't anything flashy in the office, the showiest thing being the bookshelf behind his desk filled to overflowing with books of all kinds. Newt sat down in the cushioned chair on the opposite side of the desk from Graves when he gestured for Newt to do so. Newt studied the spines of the books until Graves spoke. 

"You intrigue me, Mr. Scamander." Graves said, still standing. 

Newt cleared his throat and glanced down at his hands in his lap. "How so?" 

"From what I'm told, you waltzed into New York with a suitcase full of illegal creatures," Graves looked over at the suitcase at Newt's feet, "and somehow managed to let some of them loose in this city." He leveled Newt with a gaze clearly fine tuned from years of experience. "What's to stop me from confiscating that suitcase of yours?" 

Newt instinctively moved the suitcase behind him. "Nothing in there is dangerous. And none of the creatures will be getting out again." 

"Besides the one in your coat." 

Newt glanced down at Pickett peeking out at Graves from Newt's pocket. "Besides the bowtruckle, which I assure you won't be leaving this spot on my coat. He's quite harmless as well." 

Graves hummed to himself, seemingly satisfied with Newt's answer. "If you say so, Mr. Scamander." 

"Newt. Please, call me Newt." 

"Call me Percy." 

Newt nodded. Graves sat down, folding his hands on top of the desk. Newt stared down at his long fingers intertwined with one another, suddenly fascinated by the effortless elegance that seemed to radiate off of Graves. 

"So you're not going to confiscate anything?" Newt asked, snapping back to reality after a moment. 

"Not unless you cause me any undue problems." 

"I won't." Newt replied hastily. 

Graves inclined his head a little bit to the side. "How did you know that it was Grindelwald parading around as me?" 

Newt considered the question. "It was a hunch at best. He seemed too powerful- not that you're not powerful, I assume, having the position you have as director- but too powerful for an auror. And the way he chased after Credence and the obscurus, it seemed too out-of-place for me." 

Graves nodded once. Newt's answer must have been good enough. For some reason, Newt wanted the man to think well of him. 

Newt cleared his throat once again, hesitated a moment. "Do you want to meet some of the creatures?" 

"Meet...?" 

"They're quite friendly, most of them." 

Graves didn't answer at first. Instead, he searched his desk as if looking for an excuse among all the paperwork not to go into the suitcase. Not able to come up with one, or maybe just deciding it wouldn't be too bad to go into the suitcase, Graves agreed to meet the creatures. 

Newt bent over to pull the suitcase back in front of him and open it. He glanced up at Graves, who had a look of apprehension on his face. Newt hid a smile as he slipped into the suitcase and climbed down to the small shack full of miscellaneous odds and ends 

Graves followed him not long after, the look of apprehension still present on his face. Newt smiled at him in what he hoped came across as friendly. Graves responded with his own crooked smile, clearly forced. 

Newt led them out of the room, to the bowtruckles, wanting to start off with one of the least intimidating creatures. Pickett climbed out of Newt's pocket and onto his shoulder as they approached the trees. 

Graves wandered close to a tree, studying the bowtruckles as much as they were studying him. "I'm guessing the rest of the creatures aren't quite as small and cute." 

Newt felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, happy to talk about the creatures. "They're all just as interesting and amazing." 

Graves huffed out a laugh and shot Newt a look. "I'll trust your judgment." 

Newt introduced Graves to most of the creatures, avoiding the more aggressive ones to make sure Graves didn't feel the need to check into their legality. They visited Dougal last, and the demiguise was now clinging to Graves' shoulders. Niffler was at his feet, sniffing the legs of his pants. Graves looked mildly uncomfortable as he held onto Dougal, but looked decidedly less so than when he'd first entered the suitcase. Newt counted it as a minor success. 

"This has all been quite... overwhelming." Graves muttered. "I must say that I didn't expect any of this." He took one hand off Dougal to gesture vaguely at their surroundings, then promptly put it back into place, patting he creature's back twice. 

"And I can assure you that it's all fairly safe." Newt said. 

"Fairly?" Graves repeated, looking Newt up-and-down like he had when they'd first met. He shook his head when Newt started to explain. "No, please, you don't have to clarify." He paused, seemed to collect himself. "But maybe you'd like to join me for dinner so that we can talk some more?" 

Newt stuttered for a moment. He'd never properly been asked out to dinner before. Anxiety took over for a moment as he tried to form coherent words. 

"I- Yes, I'd like that." Newt replied when he'd gathered his wits about himself. 

Graves gave him a genuine smile, and Newt couldn't help but stare. Graves' entire demeanor was much softer and open now. Newt felt like he was looking at a different man, the one who might've existed before the whole Grindelwald ordeal. 

"There's a nice place a couple blocks from here. Not _here_ , per say, but the building we're in." Graves said as he gently placed Dougal back on the ground. 

"I'll trust your judgement." Newt said, repeating Graves' words from earlier. 

Newt felt open and vulnerable under Graves' gaze, like he was being seen for the first time over and over again. He felt the urge to make each impression better than the last. But Graves only let out a barely audible noise, his dark eyes no longer fixed on Newt but taking in his surroundings once more. 

"Please tell me you can get us out of here." Graves said. 

Newt laughed, turning on his heel when Graves gave him a bewildered look, and leading them back to the exit. Graves trailed after him, never straying too far. By the time they exited the suitcase, it was almost seven in the evening. Newt watched from the corner of his eye as Graves straightened out his clothes and hair primly and with the practice of a man who seemed to deal with a messed up appearance quite often. 

"Shall we go?" Graves asked as he finished fixing his scarf. He reached into his jacket, feeling around from something. His face pales as he patted around the rest of his jacket. "My wallet is gone." 

Newt paled, too, wincing a bit. "I think I know who has it. If you'll excuse me, I'll go get it for you." He ignored the confused look Graves gave him as he reopened the suitcase and climbed back down, letting out a sigh as he tried to think of where Niffler might be hiding this time. 

*** 

"This is... a much nicer place than I expected." Newt said. He continued to look around the restaurant, slightly taken aback by the sheer expensiveness that seemed to radiate off of everything and everyone. He'd of course been to places like this before as a child, but he hadn't expected Graves to take him to this kind of restaurant. 

Graves' face reddened a bit in the candlelight at their table. He covered part of his face with his fingers. "Is it too much? We can go somewhere else." 

"No, it's quite alright." Newt replied hastily. "This is just unexpected, is all. It kind of feels like a date." 

When Graves didn't immediately respond, Newt blushed heavily. Had he said the wrong thing? 

Graves covered his face even more, blushing as much as Newt. "Maybe we _should_ go somewhere else. I'm afraid I've made us both uncomfortable. I don't go out much with other people." 

"At least we've got that in common." Newt said, smiling despite himself. 

"Not too far from here is a sandwich cart." Graves offered, recovering slightly. 

Newt ducked his head. "That sounds nice." 

Graves nodded, quickly standing up from the table before the waiter stopped by. Newt stood up, too, with his suitcase, and they both left the restaurant after pulling on their coats by the door. The cold air hit Newt in the face, making him shiver. He'd left his scarf behind at Tina and Queenie's place when he'd left that morning. Graves must have noticed his shivering because all of sudden he was handing Newt his scarf. 

"Oh, no, I couldn't." Newt said. "You'll be just as cold as I am." 

"I'll be fine. I'm used to the cold. I grew up with it." Graves said. He extended his hand out further towards Newt until Newt took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck gratefully, soaking in the lingering warmth left behind by Graves body. 

"Thank you." Newt said. The light scent of Graves' cologne mixed with the smell of mint surrounded him as they wandered down the sidewalk side-by-side. 

The sandwich cart wasn't too far from the restaurant, and after they got their food, they walked to a nearby park. Graves seemed to know his way around it, even with only he streetlights to shed any flickering light on them. They chatted mindlessly about their lives- where they grew up, their family, schooling, anything that came up. Newt was surprised at how relaxed he felt talking to Graves, especially since he'd technically just met the man a couple hours ago. Newt almost felt guilty about enjoying his company. 

"How long do you plan to stay in New York?" Graves asked when they'd ended up outside Tina and Queenie's complex. They stood face-to-face a few feet away from the entrance door. 

"I'm not sure." Newt answered. "I was hoping we might find Credence, or what's left of him. Maybe I'll be here for a couple more weeks if they don't find him by the end of the month." 

"So we could possibly do this again?" Graves asked carefully. 

Newt blinked, surprised by the question. "Yes. Definitely. I'd like that a lot." 

Graves smiled shyly. "Good. I'm glad." 

They were silent for a span of two heartbeats, unmoving in the wind. Then Graves hesitantly stepped forward, into Newt's personal space. He leaned forward, leaving an inch of space between their faces, but not doing more than that. He was waiting for Newt to respond. 

The remains of Newt's sandwich fell out of his hand. He startled as it hit the ground, and jumped back, almost dropping his suitcase, too. 

"Oh, dear." Newt said, his mind not working quite right. "I've dropped my sandwich." He bent down to scoop up what he could and dumped it into a nearby trash can. 

Graves threw the rest of his sandwich away as well. He didn't look Newt in the eye when he said, "I should get back to my office. I've got a bit of paperwork to finish. Have a good night, Newt." 

Newt didn't even have time to respond before Graves was walking away. He was out of sight so quickly that Newt felt like he'd dreamt everything that'd happened in between the time he'd arrived at the MACUSA building to now. Had Graves actually wanted to kiss him, or was Newt just imagining things? 

Newt shook his head. He took a few deep breaths, calming himself. Yes, he must've imagined it. 

But as Newt climbed the stairs up to the Goldstein sisters' flat, he knew he it had to have been real. He could still feel Graves warm breath ghosting his lips, their faces so close that Newt could make out the irises in Graves' dark eyes, if only for a brief moment. 

Queenie eyed Newt playfully when he entered the flat, clearly having read his mind. Newt pointedly ignored the look. 

"That's a nice scarf you've got there, honey." Queenie said, fixing a cup of tea for herself. 

Newt reached up to his neck, his hand gripping Graves' scarf. He felt his face turn red and decided that that was a good time to escape to the guest room he'd been staying in while in New York. He climbed down into his suitcase, intending to check on the creatures but really just looking to distract himself. 

It worked for a good ten minutes, until Newt suddenly sat down in the middle of the mooncalves after feeding them, wondering why he felt so utterly weightless and yet heavy at the same time. He wasn't one to click with other people so easily. It took him a long time to do that. But in just a couple hours, he'd gotten to know Graves' life so well it seemed like they'd known each other for years, like they'd been good friends forever. 

Newt ripped the scarf off from around his neck and threw it on the ground next to him. Then he immediately picked it back up and folded it neatly. He'd return it as soon as he could. 

Newt stood up and made his way back to the entrance of the suitcase to place the scarf in the shack. Then he went back out to finish checking on the creatures. 

*** 

"And once we've finished going over those areas, we'll move onto the next." Tina said, pointing to a small area on a map of New York. "If Credence is anywhere in New York, he'll be there." 

Newt listened quietly, nodding his assent. He glanced uneasily at Graves, who hadn't looked at him the entire time they'd been in his office, not even when Newt had given him his scarf back. 

"Sounds good." Graves said, shuffling some papers around on his desk. "Keep me updated on the search." 

"Will do." Tina said. She stood up and waited for Newt to stand up as well. 

"I, um, need to ask Mr. Graves something, if you don't mind." Newt said. 

"Not at all." Tina replied, giving Newt the same look Queenie had given him last night. It seemed the Goldstein sisters didn't keep secrets. 

Tina left the office, leaving Newt and Graves alone. Newt shifted uncomfortably in his chair in the silence that followed. Graves still hadn't met his eye, shuffling more papers around. 

Newt cleared his throat. Graves froze, hands clutching a folder. Then he let it go and stood up. 

"If you're not going to ask your question," Graves said, "I have some things to attend to." He moved to the other side of the desk as if making for the door. 

Newt leapt up onto his feet, blocking Graves. "Percy, wait." 

Graves finally looked at Newt, wide eyed. Then he tamed his expression back. "If this is about last night, I apologize. It won't happen again." 

"Give me another chance." Newt said, surprised at how calm his voice was. He could barely even make eye contact with Graves right now. 

"What?" 

Newt grabbed Graves' lapels and dragged him closer, until they were chest-to-chest. Graves inhaled sharply. They stared at each other for an eternity before Graves finally leaned in, ever so slightly, his eyes catching on Newt's lips. 

This time, Newt closed the gap between them in a rare fit of confidence, kissing Graves gently. Graves' hands found their way into Newt's hair, gripping it softly. They broke apart a few seconds later, neither of them saying anything. Newt felt weightless again, but no heaviness lurked behind it. 

"I'd like to do that again, if you'd let me." Graves said, his voice low and quiet. His eyes met Newt's, taking Newt's breath away in one fell swoop. 

Newt pulled Graves back in for another kiss, this one deep and lingering, something that Newt would be feeling like a ghost on his lips for years to come. Newt could feel Graves' hammering heartbeat under the knuckles of his right hand, keeping in time with Newt's own heart. 

When they separated, Graves rested his forehead against Newt's. "I'm not going to lie, your creatures still baffle the shit out of me," Graves said, his face completely serious, "and I know you're not here in New York for long, but I like you a lot and I want to spend time with you." 

Newt held his breath for a second as if afraid that any air leaving his lungs would break the moment. "I like you, too. And so do my creatures, though not in the same way I do." A smile crossed his lips, only to be mirrored by Graves. "I would be honored to spend time with you." 

Graves let out a relieved sigh. "The honor would be mine. Now, you said something last night about being able to do a mating dance...?" 

Newt laughed. "Are you asking for a private show, Mr. Graves?" 

Graves pulled back and put on his most scandalized face. "Me, Mr. Scamander? Never. That would be highly inappropriate." 

*** 

"May I have this dance?" 

Newt looked up at Graves, standing over him in only a loose button-up shirt and dirt-covered trousers, his hand extended out towards Newt. His hair was in a beautiful disarray and there was a streak of dirt across his forehead. Newt smiled at the sight, enamored. Graves was making an effort to get to know and take care of the creatures, much to Newt's joy. The past few days had gone by like a whirlwind romance, and Newt kept expecting something to go wrong at any turn but it hadn't yet. Newt closed his notebook and took Graves' hand, letting himself be pulled up onto his feet. 

In the background, the gramophone was playing some popular song that Newt had been hearing on all the crowded street corners. Tina had given him the record a couple days ago, and he'd only just gotten around to playing it. 

Graves pulled Newt in close, his right hand falling onto Newt's waist and his left hand cradling Newt's right hand. Their bodies pressed together, a silent excuse passed between them that the small area of the shack called for it. It took them a moment to catch the rhythm, but eventually their feet fell into synchronicity. In this intimate moment, Newt could convince himself that he had more time in New York, that he wouldn't have to leave Graves and Tina and Queenie and Jacob behind. He guessed that was where this romance would take a wrong turn. 

Newt knew that they were close to finding Credence if he was still alive, and then Newt would have no substantial excuse for staying more than a couple days afterwards. It was a strange feeling to be so attached to people. He wanted to stay in one place with them, which he'd never wanted before. He was used to moving, always moving, never staying in one place for longer than necessary. 

Newt let go of Graves' hand. He wrapped his arms around Graves' shoulders and rested his head on top of his own arm. Graves wrapped his arms around Newt's waist. 

"It's going to break my heart to leave." Newt whispered. 

Graves' arms tightened around Newt. "I know I can't convince you to stay, but it's not beneath me to ask you to." 

Newt let out a shaky breath. "I've got so much to do back in London. I shouldn't have even stayed here as long as I have." 

Graves pushed them apart gently, but Newt's hands still clung to Graves' shoulders tightly. "Come back when you've finished everything you need to. Or I- and everyone else- can come and visit you." 

"You would do that?" 

"Of course. We all would. Tina's talked to me about it more than once, and so has Queenie." 

"Oh." Newt didn't know how to properly respond to that. He was overwhelmed by the notion that anyone would be willing to cross an ocean just to see him. 

Graves pulled Newt back in and placed a kiss to his forehead. "You don't have to never see us again just because you're going back to London." 

"That's- Thank you, Percy. That means more to me than you can imagine. But I don't even know if I'll stay in London. I may have to go somewhere else for research." 

Graves went silent, staring at Newt. Newt looked over his shoulder. It hurt him more than he could express to have to know he'd have to leave and possibly never see someone again, especially someone he liked as much as Graves. 

Graves took up Newt's hand again without a word and they once more fell into step with one another, dancing long after the record stopped playing. 

*** 

Newt stood in the background of all the commotion. He caught glances of Credence sitting in the middle of the group of people surrounding him. He felt his own anxiety rise at the sight. When Credence's gaze caught on his own, Newt snapped. 

"Stop it!" Newt yelled, all propriety leaving him. "Give him some space, for god's sake!" 

Everyone immediately fell silent, staring at Newt in bizarre amazement. Newt took a step forward and they all dispersed, wandering to various parts of the what used to be Credence's home. The place had been investigated once before, but Credence hadn't been here then. 

Tina appeared at the top of the stairs at the sound of Newt yelling, her faced covered with concern. Graves wasn't there, which was a good decision in Newt's opinion. Who knew how Credence might react to seeing his face again, even if he wasn't Grindelwald in disguise. 

Credence stared at Newt with huge dark eyes similar to Graves'. He didn't say anything, though. Newt approached him carefully. 

"Do you remember me?" Newt asked quietly when the last auror was out of earshot. 

Credence nodded. "You're the man from the train station. You tried to help me." 

"Yes, that's right." Newt crouched down to be on the same level as Credence. "I'd like to take you somewhere called the MACUSA. It's a place where you'll be among your own kind. You'll be safe there. I'll make sure no one bothers you." 

Credence nodded his assent. Tina had wandered over to them so she and Newt led Credence outside and took a cab to the MACUSA building. 

"I should tell you, Credence," Tina said as they got out of the cab, "that the man who's the real Graves is here." She softened her voice. "There's no pressure to see him, though. Either way, you'll be able to stay here until we figure out where you'll be living." 

"I... would like to talk to him." Credence replied after a long pause. 

Tina and Newt exchanged a look. Tina nodded a minuscule amount, and Newt nodded back. 

"Alright." Tina said. "I can take you to see him. Newt, I'll see you at home." Then she took Credence inside, the door closing behind them with a sort of finality. 

The word 'home' echoed in Newt's mind. He knew Tina didn't mean much by it, but it was the first time she'd said it to him. Newt pulled his coat tighter around himself, his heart aching. He wished he could call this place home, call these people his family. Call Graves his lover without fear of having to break both their hearts soon. 

Newt choked back tears, suddenly struck by the fact that now that Credence had been found, it was only a matter of time before Newt had to move on. He only needed to stay around long enough to be sure the obscurus wouldn't affect Credence too harshly. 

Newt's feet carried him back to the Goldstein's, the weightless feeling morphing back into a heaviness, carving his insides until they were empty. It wasn't anything like what he'd felt with Graves or even Tina, Queenie, and Jacob. 

Queenie and Jacob were there- were _home_ \- when Newt got there. One understanding look from Queenie and he broke down sobbing. Jacob shot to his feet, confused. Queenie pulled Newt in for a hug, whispering comforting words to him. Newt didn't know how he'd ever manage to leave them. 

*** 

Graves hoisted Dougal into his arms, watching Newt warily while he did so. Newt ignored his gaze, opting to focus on feeding the occamies in front of him. 

"I know we've only known each other a few weeks but-" Graves stopped talking when Newt looked at him. 

"I can't stay." Newt said, no emotion invading his voice. 

"Newt-" 

" _Percy_." The simple plea that escaped Newt broke him. He dropped to his knees and felt the tears welling up in his eyes. "You know I don't want to leave, but I have a life in London. And a place I used to call home. I can't keep kidding myself by saying I'll come back here when I can. 

"This place is like a home to me, too, but I can't settle down in New York. The second I finish my work in London, I'll be off somewhere else, trying to find another creature or gather more research." 

"Then take me with you." Graves said with conviction. 

"You have a job here. An important one. You've built your life here." 

"I don't want to live here anymore. Not after everything that happened with Grindelwald." 

Newt looked up and saw the sincerity in Graves eyes. 

"I talked to Credence." Graves continued. "We got everything off our chests, and it made me realize how much I can't stand being in that damn office anymore, aware of the fact that he stood there, sat there, worked there while I was in an abandoned apartment with almost no memories. I can barely even stand walking down some of the streets of New York. It all reminds me of Grindelwald and what he took from me. 

"But you, Newt, you make me forget about that, even if you did deal with Grindelwald yourself. I don't feel the need to pretend like I'm able to handle all of this. I don't have to worry about what's legal and what's not because I don't care when it comes to you. I just enjoy being around you and all of your creatures. 

"So, please, let me join you. I can't stand to think of what I'd lose if I let you go without me." 

Newt was silent a long time, staring up at Graves. Graves stared back at him, eyes roaming his face like it might be his last time to ever see Newt. Newt knew in that moment that he'd regret it his entire life if he left New York without this man by his side. 

Newt stood up and kissed Graves, his hands on Graves' cheeks, feeling the faint scratch of stubble under his palms. Dougal made a tiny disgruntled noise as they broke apart. Newt patted Dougal's head gently, trying to hide the tears that had finally fallen. 

"Let's do it, then." Newt said, wiping his eyes and meeting Graves' gaze with the same conviction that been in Graves' voice earlier. "Let's leave together." 

Graves took a moment to process what Newt had said. Then a smile broke out over his face, bright and joyful. Newt's heart stopped beating momentarily at the sight. He leaned in again to kiss Graves once more, wanting to know what the smile felt like against his lips. 

It felt amazing. It felt like home. 

*** 

"I'm going to miss you so much." Jacob said, barely holding back tears. He grabbed Newt and hugged him so tight Newt thought his back might break. But he was glad for the embrace, hoping it wasn't the last. 

Queenie hugged him next, much gentler. "Let us know the next time you stop in New York. I'll know if you don't." 

"I swear on my life, I'll let you know." Newt replied with a small smile. Queenie beamed at him with that show-stopping smile of hers, making his chest ache even more than it already was. 

"Take care of Graves, alright?" Tina said when it was her turn to say goodbye. 

"And you take care of Credence." Newt said. They stood awkwardly for a second before they both moved in for a hug. "I'll miss you." He said, then looked at Queenie and Jacob. "I'll miss all of you." 

Tina held Newt at arm's length, studying him. Then she nodded as if satisfied. "You'll always have a home here, Newt." 

"Now go." Tina said before Newt could respond. "Before you miss your ship." 

Newt waved to them all before picking up his suitcase, turning on his heel, and heading for the ship. He showed his ticket to a ship worker before boarding. He searched the deck until he found Graves standing at a stretch of railing, staring out at the other ships in the water. 

Newt stood next to him. He slipped his hand into Graves' to give it a squeeze before letting go. Graves looked at him, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. 

"If it wasn't considered obscene to kiss you in public, I'd be doing so right now." Graves said. 

"I wouldn't object if you did." Newt replied coyly. 

Graves stared at Newt's lips as if considering it. "I'll wait until later. That way we can build up some tension." 

Newt smiled at him, feeling like he was truly being seen each time Graves looked at him. "What a tease." 

They both glanced away from each other and towards he center of the ship when the horn sounded for their departure. 

"Ready?" Graves asked. 

Newt looked back at him, his stomach fluttering with anticipation and excitement. This is what it felt like to belong, to be home wherever you went. "Ready." 

**Author's Note:**

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